SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last weekend's heavily publicized gun show drew a record single-day attendance to the Saratoga Springs City Center, its president told the City Council on Tuesday. He spoke after several city residents criticized the behavior of some gun show supporters and said the show should no longer be held in the city.

The two-day event "was one of the busiest events we have ever hosted," and the hours on Saturday attracted more customers than any other show in the center's 30-year history, city center President Mark Baker said. He said the center and the show's organizers would each contribute $1,000 to the city to cover law enforcement and other municipal resources used at the show.

Holding the arms show less than a month after the shooting deaths at Newtown, Conn., divided those in the city and beyond. The city center's board members rejected pleas for the show to be canceled. On Saturday, dozens of persons on both sides of the gun show issue carried signs and protested outside the city-owned building. They were separated by barricades and police. A huge number of gun shoppers waited on line to enter the show.

"I'd like to thank everyone who came out in support of this show," Petronis wrote. "It was beyond any expectations I had."

But several members of Saratogians Against Gun Violence told the council on Tuesday they would continue fighting to have gun shows banned in the city. They said they were upset by the tactics used by pro-gun activists outside the city center on Saturday.

Diedre Ladd said the gun show had turned a city filled with cultural beauty into an "ugly stage of malice and confrontation." Another speaker said gun-toting men in the downtown area scared her children. City Supervisor Joanne Yepsen told the council she was disgusted by the behavior.

Baker said the event was incident-free, but he did notice "some lack of respect and rude comments on the street, and I didn't like it."